Fil-Belgian tie-up offers iGSat broadband service

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-owned satellite service provider First United Broadcasting Corp. (FUBC) has tied up with Belgium-based Newtec to deliver broadband service in areas not reached by major players Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Globe Telecom Inc.

FUBC chief executive officer Philip Chien said in an interview with reporters that the company would initially pump in $5 million into the partnership to launch iGSat Satellite Broadband starting next month.

He said the new iGSat broadband service would deliver high-speed satellite broadband across the Philippines, particularly in areas not reached by either PLDT or Globe.

“This project will not be in competition with the present providers but will be a great support in areas where there is slow or no available bandwidth at all,” he said.

For the corporate market, iGSat broadband would deliver reliable, high-speed, always-on Internet access without depending on availability of terrestrial networks.

iGSat offers a range of solutions for the broadband user, comprising of satellite connections for the home, business, private network and maritime communications as well as for Internet service providers (ISPs).

“This latest technology will support the grassroots program of the government and private firms to cover the entire Philippine society for communication, information and education. The technology will be available anywhere, everywhere. It is limitless and beyond boundaries,” Chien added.

Newtec chief executive officer Serge Van Herck said the iGSat broadband service is based on the company’s broadband hub utilizing thousands of Newtec’s terminals including the MDM2200 IP satellite modems and interactive LNBs.

This technology provides local ISPs with the broadband connection they need in order to offer reliable, high-speed and always-on Internet access to users through a wired or wireless (WiFi) connection.

“Our technologies continue to offer high performance in the most economical way and remain at the forefront of pushing satellite broadband to areas where any connectivity was not previously thought to be possible and we are doing this at a competitive price,” he said. 

FUBC is licensed to operate direct-to-home (DTH) satellite services as well as radio and TV broadcast. It runs the DTH Satellite TV (GSAT) and Global News Network (GNN) and its satellite footprint reaches the Philippine archipelago and surrounding countries.

Newtec, on the other hand, specializes in design, development, and manufacture of equipment and technologies for satellite communications.